Inside the Dukes: Duquesne MBB Hitting Stride

Duquesne Men’s Basketball Coach Dru Joyce III walked down a UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse hallway Saturday afternoon when he was met by his assistant Jordan Talley who had a simple message.

The 88-86 triumph over George Washington was exactly what this team needed, a nice exclamation point for a third win in seven days, each challenging in its own way.

“We played a team that we probably gave a couple of open ones too early, so they got it going,” Joyce reflected. “It was a battle to try to stop the penetration, drives and kicks. I thought we handled ourselves the right way. We focused in on the defensive end. We didn’t do a great job of making them miss, they made tough shots and plays, but we turned them over. That’s where it really shined. I thought we rebounded the ball in key moments. The poise, to take those punches, come down on offense, share the ball, take good shots and then continue to defend, sometimes as well as you play it can be a couple of possessions here and there and we won those today.”

As the calendar switched to February, Duquesne has been making its move, almost a carbon copy of the 2023-24 team, where it was about learning from the mistakes and starting to figure things out.

While the result is certainly not guaranteed to be the same, there clearly is some excitement in the air and deservedly so.

The energy feels different and it was certainly not because Duquesne alumni and Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor was sitting courtside for the first half.

One of the biggest hurdles that 2023-24 team had to overcome was winning on the road, but once it did that, it was off to the races.

For this team it was defending home court, something which was a stumbling block earlier in the Atlantic 10 slate. It was the details during games that caused the Dukes to fall but even more it was embracing the defensive aspect. Not just saying they would embrace it but doing it in practices and having that carry over into games.

With that NCAA Tournament team, the defensive example started with Jimmy Clark III and his defensive tenacity and example became contagious. When Dae Dae Grant came back from his concussion, he saw how the team bought in defensively, led by Clark’s efforts. Grant understood what needed to be done and followed suit.

After the St. Bonaventure loss, Joyce challenged Tarence Guinyard to be that first voice. As the point guard it was his responsibility to be the example that everyone else could follow.

The result was a Rhode Island team that came in with a boost and left frustrating, never truly finding a rhythm. It was a home triumph in which Duquesne hit all of the proper notes.

Guinyard’s example was available Wednesday night as multiple sources told PSN he was ultimately ruled out with a concussion. Jakub Necas was also out with a lower-body injury.

Duquesne was going to have to find its way with different players being given enhanced roles.

The defense carried over with Brandon Hall’s insertion into the starting lineup going a long way towards that, as Jake DiMichele’s placement two seasons prior did.

Alex Williams who was the surprise to many earlier in the season and had long worked his way into the rotation had the game of his Duquesne career. Williams, one of the heroes of the Davidson double overtime triumph, allowed his work ethic and practice habits to find a continuously growing role. He was challenged and he answered.

Someone else who recently has answered the call has been Stef van Bussel, an individual who was a DNP for nine consecutive contests. While other posts and players have seen opportunities, it was van Bussel who was called for 10 important minutes.

Sure some of that came down to foul trouble, but it also was Joyce having the confidence in his practice habits carrying over.

It also is a clear message being sent, a standard, one he echoed earlier on in the season. Those who perform well in practice will get looks in games.

“He’s practiced so hard and so well that I just can’t leave him over there, I have to give that young man an opportunity,” stated Joyce. “When he goes out there, he gives me every ounce of what he has. He’s been unbelievable. Constantly up on the bench, talking and bringing juice there and I’m never surprised at how he’s ready when he goes into a game. I liked his effort again today, he’s physical, he’s big and continues to press me to play him more because he executes at a high level.”

There also has been growth in terms of both actions and adjustments. Sure, GW found its shot early but Duquesne did not panic.

Besides the defense, this may be the largest area of growth. In the past it is quite likely that run grows, but instead the five players on the floor hustled. They sprinted back talking, point out assignments and flat-out fought.

Perhaps earlier in the season, Duquesne relied too much on its scoring, but now it understands what exactly it takes to win.

“We’re growing, we’re learning and continuing to emphasize where we won the game,” Joyce answered. “It comes down getting those stops. Those are the plays that trigger everything.”

Guinyard offensively led by example scoring 27 points, including 16 in consecutive succession, which allowed Duquesne to take some control heading into the game’s final minute.

It was a moment where the Dukes fed the hot hand and let him do the rest.

Ultimately it was the defense which won the game in critical stretches. Despite being out rebounded by 13, there was no bigger board than the one Necas pulled down the stretch, where he skied for his lone grab of the game.

Hall’s defense helped stifle a Revolutionaries side that while it found its shots, connecting 13 times from three-point range, it also committed 16 turnovers to neutralize some of their momentum. Williams was keeping a steady dialogue to center his team.

Behind it all was a growing crescendo of fan support, particularly in the second half as Duquesne was trying to find an edge.

“The crowd was great and they definitely brought a lot of energy to the gym,” junior guard Jimmie Williams stated. “There were certain points in time where we fed off their energy. We just kept going, kept scoring, we were hot and they were picking us up.”

Now on a bye week, Duquesne is giving itself a day to enjoy the victory and mentally recover for the stretch run, which begins with a chance to redeem the aforementioned loss to St. Bonaventure.

“These guys they need to feel rewarded for their efforts, so that’s a responsibility of our staff to make sure we recognize not just the scoring, but there’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle,” concluded Joyce. “We have to make sure when we win and even in losses, we have to find a silver lining and recognize it, because there are small wins and victories during the game. We can enjoy this for the moment; I’ll give them a day off and then it’s back to work. We can’t get hung up on how many we’ve won in a row, because there’s another game coming.”